William s



W. S. BELLOWS.

sm'w DEVICE FOR USE m HEPAHHNGA'ND neuewms msuunoas or HIGH VGLTAGE TRANSMISSION LINES.

,u'l'ucmwu HLED APB 10.19IB.

1,8 1 8,249. Patented Aug. 19, 1919 UNITED STATES ii-*A ENT OFFICE.

WILLIAMS. BELLOWS, OF BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR USE IN REPAIRING AND RENEWING INSULATORS OF HIGH- VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION-LINES.

Application filed April 10, 1918.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, l VILLIAM S. Bnuiows, residing at Benton Harbor, in the county of Berricn and State of Michigan, a citizen of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Use in Re airing and Renewing Insulators of Higholtage 'Iransinission- Lines; and I do hereby declare the following to he a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled 111 the artto which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in a safety device for use in repairing and renewing insulators of high voltage transmission lines, and more particularly to a device for securing the conductor wires to insulators, but at the same time permitting of their instant and ready detachment of such Wires without necessitating the shutting off of the supply current.

It will be understood that all overhead lines utilized for the transmission and distribution of electricity generally employ a support comprising a pole and one or more 'cross arms, insulators applied to the cross arms on opposite sides of the pole, and'the line wires which are secured to the insulators in suitable manner.

For various causes, insulators are fre quently broken, and a vitally important feature in the maintenance of overhead transmission lines and those utilized in high tension or high voltage service resides in facilitating the ready renewal or replacement of such insulators which may become broken or damaged.

Heretofore it has been the practice to effect the replacement of the broken or dainagcd insulators while the lines are dead, that is to say, during the time the current is cut ofi' in certain of the lines, it heing understood that the current is directed through certain lines for a given period of time and then switched to certain other of the lines for a like period. This practice of being compelled to wait until the wires are dead before being able to make repairs is very objectionable, for the reason that when the insulator becomes broken continued service through the line supported by the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

Serial No. 227,746.

broken insulator is attended with a great deal of danger, owing to the breaking down of the insulation of the system at this particular point. \Vhere the insulation is thus broken there is necessarily danger to life and property and where service is interrupted there is more or less dissatisfaction among the consumers ofcm-rent.

The object of my invention is to provide a device of the character mentioned by means of which telephone, telegraph, electric railway wires or conductors or any other form of cables or comjluctors may be quickly at: tached to the insulators of the usual arms of the pole or other support and also quickly detached therefrom without shutting 01f the current in the wire or conductor, and dispensing: entirely with the use of the usual well known tie wires or means for fastening the wires of the insulators.

A further object is to provide a device'of the character mentioned which is adapted to be utilized in eil'eeting repairs to overhead live wires or lines and the supports therefor without danger to the lineman and which mize time.

A further object to provide a device of the character mentioned which may be easily applied. to insulators of the well known type now in general use. and which. may be utilized for temporarily engaging and gripping a live wire and holding the same in the desired position until permanent repairs can he made to said live wire or its supporting insulator.

A further object is to provide a device of the character mentioned which, when a'line breaks at a point betwcen'the supporting poles, will securely hold the wire and prevent its slacking back or beyond each of said poles.

A further object is to provide a device of the character mentioned which is applicable to all the modern types of insulators and various sized wires or conductors.

still further object is to provide a devilrv of the character mentioned which is ex.- cei-dingly simple, inexpensive and durable in construction and easy and quickly manipulated in being applied or removed.

tures and in the construction, combination well known modern type of glass or porcelain insulator; 2, 2, a pair of brackets which are preferably made of 'mallcable lron, but may be made of any other suitable material and which are adapted to be secured to the upper portion of the insulator 1.

Each of the brackets 2 comprises a downwardly extending outwardly curved portion 3 which fits and contacts with the outer contour of the insulator 1, and is provided with a substantially V-shaped laterally extending groove 4, a shoulder 6 having a line or conductor receiving groove 7, a lug 8 at the back of the bracket 2 and extending upward from the shoulder 6 and an inwardly projecting flange 8 adapted to extend upper edge of the insulator.

The means for clamping the conductor wire in each of the brackets 2 comprises a cam lever 9 pivoted on a bolt 10 mounted on and extcndin laterally from the lu 8 and provided witli a head 12 having a p ura-lity of teeth or serrations 13, which are adapted to contact with and clamp the conductor wire in the groove 7 of the bracket, and a handle 1% provided with a hole 15.

The brackets 23 are secured or fastened to the upper portion of the insulator by means of a wire 16 which is looped around the sumo and engages the grooves 4 of the slightly over the brackets and the ends of the wire 16 are connected by being twisted together at the point 20 by linemen s pliers or any other suitable tool.

In practice the brackets are semiredto the insulator by means of the wire 16, the conductor wire is inserted in the grooves in the shoulders of the brackets and the cam levers are moved downward until they firmly clamp the conductor wire and any movement thereof lengthwise only serves to cause the teeth or serrations on the heads of the cam levers to clamp the conductor wire more firmly against the shoulders of the brackets.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to th specific details of construction and arrangement as herein described and illustrated, as it is'manifest that variations and modifications may be made in the features of construction and arrangement, in the adaptation of the device to various conditions of use, Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention and improvements. I, therefore, reserve the right to all such variations and modifications as properly fall within the see e of my invention and the terms of the to lowing claim.

.What I claim is:

In a device of the character described, an insulator, a plurality of brackets, means for securing said brackets to said insulator, each of said brackets provided with a forwardly and downwardly curved portion the rear edge of which is adapted to form an extended bearing for the bracket, a flange adapted to engage the upper edge of the insulator, a shoulder, a lug projectlng from said shout der and a lever in substantial vertical salinement with said forwardly and downwardly curved portion and pivoted to said lug.

In testimony whereof I have allixed my signature.

WILLIAM S. BELLOWS. 

